Canada agency lowers 2018-19 masur, peas output view as acreage down.

Canada’s farm agency has lowered its estimates for the output of masur and peas in 2018-19 (Aug-Jul) because of a fall in the area under the crops in the country. Production of masur in 2018-19 to fall to 2.38 mln tn compared with 2.5 mln tn, estimated in its June report. Area harvested under masur has been revised lower to 1.50 mln ha from 1.62 mln ha, the report stated. The output estimate for peas has been revised to 3.6 mln tn in the July forecast from 3.85 mln tn. Despite the fall in output, the agency has kept the price forecast for peas and masur unchanged from its June view at $220-$250 per tn and $420-$450 per tn, respectively, due to higher carry-over stocks. Average price for all grades (lentils or masur) and types is forecast to fall from 2017-18 due to Canadian and world supply. There is an expectation that import demand in the Indian subcontinent will continue to be similar to 2017-18. On the export front, shipments of masur and peas in 2018-19 from Canada are expected to remain steady because the July forecast report says an expected sharp fall in demand from India may be partly offset by record imports from China and the US. Canada agency Production estimate for chickpeas or chana has been revised higher in 2018-19 to 335,000 tn from 255,000 tn, as estimated in June. For 2018-19, the area seeded more than doubled from 2017-18 due to higher farm-gate prices received in the previous two years. Saskatchewan (the largest pulses growing region in Canada) is expected to account for 84% of the chickpea area. India used to be the largest importer of peas and masur from Canada but, with the government’s imposition of higher import duties in 2017, sourcing of the pulses from the latter have declined.